Pipe aligning device



May 12, 1953 H. A. MEARNS 2,638,069

PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 2 HJZ/larns BYMM ATTORNEYS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed July 6, 1950 R 0 5 W. A V 1 a e i W W W H Em W W i .7 a fi/mm w m m No. 6 a m 8 J A'I'TORNEYS May 12, 1953 H. A. MEARNS .1 PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE '7 She'ts-Sheet 4 Fild July 6. 1950 INVENTOR HflME-zarns ATTORNEYS May 12, 1953 H. A. MEARNS PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE 7 SheetsShegt 5 Filed July 6, 1950 WNW INVENTOR H 9. Illa a 1" 11 5 ATTORNEY,

H. A. MEARNS PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE May 12, 1953 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 6, 1950 INVENTOR Hfiillearns ATTORNEYS May 12, 1953 HA. MEARNS 2,638,069

PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 ATTORNEYs Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE ALIGNlNG DEVICE Herbert A. Mearns, Elkins, W. Va.

Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,327

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a pipe aligning device for aligning a pair of abutting pipe sections to provide for welding the pipe sections together.

An object of this invention is to provide a pipe aligning device which is insertable within one pipe section and is provided with an extending portion for engagement with an abutting pipe section, the device including clamping means for clamping the abutting sections together.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which embodies a mobile frame so constructed and arranged that after a. pair of pipe sections have been welded together the device may be released from the welded sections and moved forwardly to a succeeding welding operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which will tightly clamp abutting pipe sections together, with substantially the same clamping pressure on both pipe sections irrespective of any slight variation in the diameters of the pipe sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which is electrically operated and includes an electric motor for drivingthe device forwardly within a pipe section, and also includes a second motor adapted when the device is in aligning position to effect I outward movement of the clamping elements to a pipe clamping position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which will place an equal pressure on both of the pipe sections so that there will not be undue stress on one section by reason of variation in pipe diameter, which has heretofore resulted in the cracking of the joint or a portion of the pipe adjacent the joint.

The device herein disclosed is designed for exterior welding of the pipe sections, but it will be understood that the device can be readily adapted for interior welding of the pipe sections.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of a pipe aligning device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device partly,

broken away and in section,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure i is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a detailed end elevation of one of the spiral clamp operating members,

Figure 8 is an inner side elevation of one of the clamp operating members,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary end elevation of the device with certain ones of the slides removed and with the clamping shoes removed,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through the device, showing several clamping shoes in clamping position,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line of Figure 3,

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line |2--|2 of Figure 2,

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l3-l3 of Figure 4,

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuits embodied in this invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 29 designates generally a mobile frame which is formed of opposite side members 2| and 22 connected together at their rear by an upper connecting member 23, and connected together at their forward ends by a lower connecting member 24. The frame is adapted to be inserted into a length of pipe section 25 which is adapted to be welded to an abutting pipe sec tion 26. Initially the device may be manually inserted within the pipe section 25 and after the two sections 25 and 26 arewelded together at the weld joint 27, the device is moved forwardly as will be hereinafter described. The frame 20 has secured to the forward portion thereof a pair of wheels 28 carried by bearings 29, and the wheels 28 are engageable with the inner surface of a pipe section. A rear traction or driving wheel 30 is rotatably supported below the frame 2|] by bearings 3|, and a sprocket 32 is secured to the shaft 33 which is also fixed relative to the traction wheel 30. A trans-- versely disposed shaft 34 is journalled between the side members 2| and 22 and has a sprocket 35 fixed thereto.

A chain 36 is trained about the sprockets 32 and 35 so that the driving wheel 30 will be rotated with rotation of shaft 34. A frame moving motor 31 is fixed within the frame and a bevelled gear 33 is fixed to the armature shaft 39 thereof. A bevelled gear so is fixed to the shaft 34 so that shaft 34 will be rotated with rotation of shaft 39. A pressure applying roller 4! is rotatably carried by a shaft 42 which is carried by an elongated fiat spring it fixed to a transversely disposed cross bar as which is fixed to the upper edges of side members 2! and 22. The pressure applying roller All is disposed at the rear of the frame 20 and is provided so that traction roller will be placed under sufficient pressure to move the device forwardly within a pipe section after one section has been welded to another.

In order to provide a means whereby the frame 20 may be stopped at the desired point adjacent one end of a pipe section, a brake drum 45' is secured to shaft M and abralze band 66 engages about the drum 351 and; has; connected therewith a rod 31, as shown intli'igure: 12, which is s-li-dable in. guide All: which is-flxed rel'ati-Vetoframe 2.6; A washer 48 is fixed relative to the: rod; M and a spring tit. engages about the rod. M, hearing at one end against the washer and at the opposite: end against the; guide 43:. Spring 5% constantly urges the brake band to. braking. position.

A solenoid 5! is .fiXEd inthe frame it. and has a movable; core.-

connected by means of a pin 53 to the overlapping ends ofv a. pair of li-nks it and 55. Link 5d: is pivotally mounted on a pivot 5% carried by theiramefiii and 55 comprises one side of a bellcranh generally designated as 53. The bellcranlr 5i rockably mounted on a pivot which, is. fixed relative.- to the frame 2i] and the other side 59 of bellcranlz 5'! is connected with the rod it; When the: bralre hand 58 is in released position the two links 5 5- and 55 will be substantially aligned position, but when solenoid 55 is energized and core. 52 is moved to the left, as viewed in Figure: 12, right angular arm 59 will be lowered, thereby pushing the band it into released position.

A head generally designated as: 69 is fixed to the forward end of the frame 28 and is formed of a pair of circular. plates 6i and 2. The plates E I and 6?. are of like'ccnstructionand each plate is formed, as shown in Figure 3-, with a plurality of radially disposed. guide channels within which slide bars slidably engage. The outer ends of the slide bars are bifurcated as indicated at 55, and one of a clampingshoe hi is pivotally secured to a slide at by a pivot t8. clamping, shoe ii-i is formed at the. end thereof opposite from the end E's with an extension or slide bar 59 which engages between thebiiurcations E5 inwardly from the end 58.

The set of clamping shoes iii comprise the inner set whichv is engageable within pipe section 25 closely adjacent the outer ends of the pipe section, andasecond set ofv clamping shoes 61a similar to the shoes 6i, are pivotally carried by radially disposed slide members i-P-Ew. similar to slide members 55. The clamping. shoes (lilo: are ongageable within the adjacent end of pipe section 2.8 which is disposed in abutting relation with respect to' pipe section 25. There is a substantial space between the slides to and 65a and the shoes ill and. Bio sothat these shoes. and the slides will not be. unduly heated. diningv the. welding: of the joint between. the two pipe sections. Theslides [iii and: tits. are radially moved. inwardly and outwardly means ofa pair of opera-tors. 'fll and ll 4 which are disposed in the space 12 formed between the head plates BI and 62.

The operator I0 is formed with a spiral thread 13 on its inner face which engages in spiral threads or grooves M formed in the outer sides of the slides 55. Operator H is formed with spiral threads 15 engageable in spiral grooves 16 formed in the inner sides or faces of slides a. The two operators It and ll are formed as rings and are rotatably mounted. on a pair of stationary plates ll" fixed centrally with respect to" the head member 66.

Anti-friction balls it are interposed between the inner peripheries of the operators Hi and H and the outer peripheries of the hub plates H. A ringg'ear i9 is rotatably disposed between the two operators it and ll, engaging anti-friction balls til interposed between the inner edge of gear 2 9 and the periphery of hub plates ll. Gear 19 is provided on its outer edge with spur teeth which are: engageable: with a pinion iii secured to a shaft: 62 journalled through the head memher 6643- and projecting inwardly with respect to the frame 20.

A gear it is also fixed on the shaft: 82 and a smaller gear 84 toan: armature. shaft 85 of a clampv operating motor meshes with The-ring gear "i9- is adjustably lockedto the slide operators ti and 62 by means of. a pin:- rality of circumferentially spaced apart; spring;- pressed locking balls 81 which are carried by'the ring gear l9 and engage" in elongated. keeper grooves or recesses 88 formed in the inner; faces of the operators illand H; The spring-pressed locking members it? which are-constructedxin the formof ball-s are provided so that in the event one pipe section should be of a diameter differ ent from the other pipe section, the ring gear. 19 may continue rotation after the clamping shoes of one set tightly engage the adjacent pipe section in order that. the, clamping shoes within the other pipe section may be moved outward-1y t0;-a firm clamping position.

In the use and operation of this device, the frame Zii is initially inserted into the first pipe section, withclamping shoes 81 disposedadjacent one end of the pipe section; as shown in Figure-.2. The next pipe section,v such aspi-pesection 2.8;.is then moved endwise over shoes 6;? and isdisposed in abutting and contacting: relation with the adjacent end of pipe section 25. Motor 88- is then energized by closing aremotely disposed switch 90 so that ring'gear it will be rotated to expand the brake shoes 67 and; ill-a to a pipe clamping posiion. In. the event one pipe section is slightly larger. in. diameter than the other pipe section, theover-riding locking members 3'! will permit outward movement of the shoes within the larger pipe section while the shoes in; the smaller pipe section will remain stationary.

After the weld has been completed at thejoint 21, motor 37 may beenergized by means of. a switch 9i which is also remotely positioned with respect to the frame and. which is connected with motor 3'! by wires extending entirely through the pipe section 26. Qperatiorro-f motor 3". will cause the device to. move lengthwise through pipe; section 26- until the device reaches the end of. pipe section 26, whereupon motor 86 may be operated to expand the clamping shoes.

At the same time motor 3'! isrenergized solenoid it which is in. the same circuit with motor: 31, will: be energized so that brake member 46 willzbe released. When motor 3-!- is cut off to;- stcp travel of the device, brake band 46 will beapplie'dby spring 50 so as to hold the machine in proper position for application of the pipe clamping and aligning members.

It will be understood, of course, that before motor 3's" is energized to move the device for wardly, motor 86 will be operated so as to withdraw the clamping members 61 and 61a inwardly to a released position.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pipe aligning and clamping device for use in welding together the abutting ends of a pair of pipe sections comprising a mobile frame, pipe clamping means comprising a plurality of arcuate shoes adapted to engage the interior of one pipe section carried by said frame engageable with one pipe section, a second pipe clamping means comprising a plurality of arcuate shoes adapted to engage the interior of the other pipe section carried by said frame in spaced relation to said first clamping means, a clamping means operator engaging between said clamping means, said clamping means operator comprising a pair of spaced ring members having spiral teeth on their outer faces, a ring gear mounted coaxially and in engagement with said ring members, a plurality of radially disposed guides carried by said frame, a

a plurality of reciprocal movable slide rods having spiral grooves in their inner faces mounted in said guide members, said slide rods being in engagement with each ring member, means connecting each shoe to and between two adjacent of pipe sections comprising a mobile frame, a head at one end of said frame, pipe clamping means comprising a plurality of arcuate shoes adapted to engage the interior of one pipe section carried by one side of said head, a second pipe clamping means comprising aplurality of arcuate shoes adapted to engage the interior of the other pipe section carried by the other side of said head spaced from said first clamping means, a clamping means operator positioned between said clamping means, said clamping means operator comprising a pair of spaced ring members having spiral teeth on their outer faces, a ring gear mounted coaxially and in engagement with said ring members, a plurality of radially disposed guides carried by said head, a plurality of reciprocal movable slide rods having spiral grooves in their inner faces mounted. in said guide members, said slide rods being in engagement with each ring member, means connecting each shoe to and between two adjacent slide rods, spring loaded balls positioned between said ring gear and each ring member to provide an over-running clutch between said operator and said first and second clamping means, and driving means for said operator.

HERBERT A. MEARNS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,751,077 DArdenne Mar. 18, 1930 1,938,819 Eskilson Dec. 12, 1933 2,043,020 Thiemer June 2, 1936 2,205,002 Tripp June 18, 1940 2,452,867 Price et al. Nov. 2, 1948 2,463,158 De Lorme et al Mar. 1, 1949 2,525,680 Ingermarson Oct. 10, 1950 2,587,940 Webster Mar. 4, 1952 2,594,000 Elliott Apr. 22, 1952 

